While I’ve spent many years struggling with food and diet, exercise has always been a lot easier for me. I’m one of those people who really just enjoys a good workout. When I lived in California, my choice of exercise was mainly hiking and walking but now that I’m back on the east coast and the weather doesn’t always support that type of outdoor activity, I’ve been changing things up a bit.

One of the things I’ve been working on again is strength training, so I’ve also been trying to find some easy, delicious ways to work a bit more protein into my diet to support my workouts. This recipe was born from my desire to have a quick meal option that included protein and greens.

On it’s own, this meal is very light. In the video, I make this recipe with all egg whites but my favorite way to make it is with one egg and 1/4 cup of egg whites. If egg whites aren’t your thing, you can also use two eggs.

Egg + Spinach Pizza

The key to this recipe is the spices. The combination of Italian seasonings along with a bit of garlic powder is what gives this meal all the flavor of a pizzeria pizza.

You can certainly change up the toppings by adding whatever fresh veggie you have on hand (my daughter loves this pizza topped with thinly sliced fresh mushrooms!).

To make this a full meal, I usually serve it along side some fresh fruit and/or my beloved Ezekiel toast topped with either coconut oil or almond butter.

If you want to see the step-by-step demonstration of how I make this recipe, CLICK HERE.

But now I’m curious, do you like a good workout? And if so, what is your favorite way to move? Or, do you find exercise to be a bore?

Egg White and Spinach Pizza

If you want to see the step-by-step demonstration of how I make this recipe, CLICK HERE.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup egg whites

2 tbsp. marinara sauce

2 tbsp. shredded mozzarella cheese

A dash of Italian seasoning

A dash of garlic powder

Small handful fresh chopped spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk egg whites together in a small bowl.

Heat an 8-inch sauté pan over a medium heat. Coat with cooking spray (or coconut oil or butter) and pour egg whites into the pan.

Gently pull the edges of the eggs to the center of the pan while letting the uncooked eggs roll out to the outer edges of the pan (see video to see the demo).

Season the eggs with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Once the eggs are 90% set and cooked through, top with tomato sauce, cheese, and spinach. Place a lid over the egg pizza and cook another minute or until the cheese has melted.

The urge is to call this recipe a pancake but the truth is that only those that eat super clean and/or have specific fitness goals would actually consider this a pancake.

If you are reading this, you are probably one of those people.

For me, this recipe very much satisfies a pancake craving although it is more ‘eggy’ than ‘bready’ and therefore I went with crepe. Besides, when my hubby tasted it, he thought it was a crepe so that was one more reason I went with it.

This recipe (or some form of it) has been sweeping the ‘health/paleo/fitness/clean-eating blog’ world for some time now and I’ve seen lots of people cook this in a pan just like you would a regular pancake. But every time I tried to do this myself it never worked.

The idea to bake it came from Tiffany of the Gracious Pantry (a blog dedicated to clean eating recipes – check it out if you haven’t already!). Not only does baking it create perfectly cooked and delicious results but it also frees you from the time of ‘stove-time’ cooking. Just pop it in the oven and you’re done.

This is a great alternative for anyone who is gluten-free or simply trying to cut back on processed carbs. It’s also an ideal pre-post workout meal due to it’s high protein and quick acting, natural carbs.

And because my kids inhale it every time I make it, I can say with confidence that it is also delicious for those who simply like good food (no dietary restrictions required).

Be sure to check back later in the week, because I am sharing a video for my Banana Almond Pinwheels using this banana crepe as the base.

This is another video that we shot nearly a year ago (when I was still pregnant with Jachs) and are finally able to share! The only catch is that I forgot to take a photo of the final product so you’ll just have to use your imagination until I get to make this one again… enjoy!

Ingredients:

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and eggwhites. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring them to a boil and then drain. You want your potatoes to be tender yet al dente.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a 13 inch skillet over a medium high heat. Add in leeks and a pinch of salt and saute for about 8-10 minutes or until the leeks are tender. Shut off the heat and add the potatoes into the pan along with the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Be sure to toss everything together.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan making sure that all the veggies are covered by the eggs.

In this video I cover some of the basics you might want to know about eggs and eggwhites.

Eggs often get over looked at lunch and dinner but they really work anytime of the day AND they have lots of nutritional benefits to offer(I’d tell you what they are but then you might not watch the video, so I’m holding out;)).

Now you know the rules when it comes to the 101’s… if I’ve missed any facts that you want to share let’s hear them in the comments! Favorite recipes, tips, tricks… you name it… if you’ve got some good scoop on the egg, send it our way!

*Personal Update: We shot this video last weekend, so I am seven months pregnant in the video (which is pretty current!). Technically speaking we’ve got 10 weeks to go before this little girl is on the outside. She’s actually wiggling around a lot right now and I think it might be because she is trying to say hi to you guys. Who knows, maybe she already gets excited when she knows the topic is food!

This Broccoli and Cheese Breakfast Casserole was inspired by a recipe I found over on Kalyn’s Kitchen. I know you guys know who Kalyn is by now, she writes a delicious food blog packed with South Beach Friendly recipes. And the great thing about Kalyn’s blog is that you don’t have to be on the South Beach Diet to enjoy all of her nutritious recipes!

Now in case you haven’t noticed by now, I am a huge egg fan. I love quiches, casseroles, friattas, scrambles, you name it – eggs are just so versatile. You can mix them with just about anything and enjoy them just about anytime of the day. They are good hot, cold, and room temperature, so really… what’s not to love??

Often times when I am making an egg based dish I mix the whole eggs with some egg whites. It makes the finished dish a bit lighter and does not sacrifice the flavor at all. In my opinion, it’s a win-win.

And the fact that Katie loves my egg concoctions actually makes this dish a win-win-win!

I never realized how much effort it would take to feed a little one nutritious foods. There really is a bit of diligence involved. Sometimes it just seems like it would be so much easier to feed Katie ice cream sandwiches for dinner (she never says no to those!).

I find that eggs, whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, and smoothies are my “Katie default foods”. If she is not interested in the main meal, these are all quick and nutritious options that I turn to in order to ensure that she doesn’t end up eating a box of cheerios for dinner!

But I digress.

This casserole is very similar to frittata except that it is made in a glass pyrex dish and there is no stove top cooking involved. You just pop all of the ingredients into the pan and pop it in the oven.

I will definitely turn to this type of casserole the next time I am having people over for breakfast or brunch. It is the perfect dish to entertain with!

Have you guys ever made an egg casserole before? What are your favorite fillings?

Directions:

Preheat over to 375.Spray a glass 10x14 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Cut broccoli into small florets and steam for two minutes or until just tender.Toss broccoli with garlic powder, salt and curry powder.Set aside.

Combine eggs, egg whites, milk, and black pepper in a large bowl and beat with a fork or a whisk until all of the ingredients are well combined.

Layer seasoned broccoli on the bottom of the casserole dish and evenly sprinkle the cheese over the broccoli. Pour the eggs over the broccoli and cheese and use a fork to make sure that the broccoli is evenly distributed through out the eggs.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and the eggs are cooked through.Enjoy!

I think there is a fine line between “healthy eating” and depriving yourself of foods you love”.

There are a lot of “not so healthy”foods that I would never give up simply because the pleasure I get from eating them nourishes me on a whole different level than the simple science of micro and macro nutrients.

For instance, I LOVE french fries.

I mean I love, love, love them! I love each and every bite of their salty, delicious selves.

I also LOVE ice cream.

Yes, often times a smoothie or some fro-yo can do the trick, but nothing, oh nothing can replace the real deal when a yearning comes knocking.

I also love wine, beer, margaritas, and martini’s but that’s a whole other story!!

What I DO NOT LOVE is the crispy, buttery crust that usually surrounds a quiche.

Sure it’s good (enough) but it doesn’t excite me.

It’s just not my thing.

So it’s an easy, effortless swap to make.

My point??

I think it’s important to pick and choose where you want to lighten your meals up when it come to cooking and eating.

The key is to find solutions that work for you. Solutions that you can enjoy without ever feeling restricted or deprived.

The potato crust is completely different from a pastry crust in this recipe but it is a swap that I thoroughly enjoy!!

The potato adds a nice heartiness to the dish that you wouldn’t get from a frittata or crustless quiche. It the perfect compliment for the eggs.

Now don’t worry when you are lining your dish with the potatoes! The potatoes don’t need to be perfect. Somehow once it’s cooking, everything just seems to magically fall in place!

And, since most of you are dealing with some hot summer days (unlike those of us in chilly SoCal!) I kept the cheese nice and light with a fresh, tangy goat cheese (feta would also be great).

If you wanted to make this dish a little heartier, you could skip the egg whites and use all whole eggs and swap in a heartier cheese like Blue Cheese or Gruyere.

Either way you are going to end up with delicious and satisfying results!!

Have you ever tried making a potato crusted quiche?? If so, do you have any good tips to share?!

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat.Stir in the leeks along with a pinch of salt and allow to sweat for about six minutes or so.You want the leeks to become tender but not brown!

Stir in the Swiss chard and sauté another two to three minutes or until the chard is just wilted.Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and allow the greens to cool for a few minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, egg whites, and milk.Season with salt and pepper ad set aside.

Spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray and layer thin slices of potato all over the sides and bottom of pans, making sure to overlap them.

Once the greens have cooled, combine them with the egg mixture and pour everything into the potato lined pie crust. Dot the goat cheese over the top and then pop into the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Actually, breakfast is a bit of an exaggeration. Really, it’s just pancakes that I need to practice; but every time pancakes are on the breakfast agenda, my husband pulls out the griddle and spatula faster than I can say, “maple syrup.”

There is not a long list of things my hubby likes to do in the kitchen, so I figure if the griddle makes him happy, who am I to stand in the way? So I whip up the batter and hand it over to be “griddled up.”

In all honesty, I really don’t mind one bit. I kinda like that he likes the griddle. Or maybe I just like that he helps me make breakfast.

Actually, what I really like, is that we are doing it together. Chatting, laughing, sipping coffee and listening to music, while Katie hangs out in her high chair eagerly awaiting a bite of whatever her Mommy and Daddy are making.

It’s our family time and that makes me happy. Even if it means never learning how to cook the perfect pancake (at least I get to eat them!)

They are made up of oatmeal, egg whites, and cottage cheese, so instead of eating a big plate of refined flour and sugar you get to eat a big plate of lean protein and complex carbs.

Bill suggests using two packets of sugar fee sweetener, but I am proud to say that I no longer use the FAKE stuff (ever – except for an occasional diet coke because for some reason diet coke it like crack for me).

What I do is add a few tablespoons of agave and a half a cup of blueberries to give it just the the right amount of that “sweet-yum-factor”.

Instead of topping my pancakes with butter and maple syrup, I prefer a few schmears of almond butter. If you’ve never tried it you really need to – it’s too good not to.

What’s your favorite way to top your pancakes? Are you a maple syrup and butta’ pancake-topper or do you have your own unique spin?

High-Protein Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup of rolled Oats

6 egg whites (3/4 cup)

1 cup of low fat cottage cheese

½ tsp of vanilla extract

½ tsp cinnamon

2 tsp of agave nectar

½ cup of blueberries

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients (except for the blueberries) in a blender and blend until everything is well combined (about 30 seconds). You want to have a nice smooth “pancake batter-like” consistency.

Gently stir in the blueberries.

Pre heat a non-stick pan or griddle over a medium heat and lightly coat with cooking spray. Scoop ¼ cup of the batter on to the hot pan. Repeat, adding as many pancakes as you can without crowding the pan. Cook for about three minutes or until the edges start to bubble. Flip the pancakes and cook for another two minutes or until golden brown.

Even though I’m using summer flavors in this video, I urge you to just take the basic technique of making the frittata and then add whatever veggies and herbs you have on hand. By doing this you can make this recipe idea work no matter what time of year it is.

For example, to capture some real fall flavors you could try butternut squash and sage, or sweet potato and rosemary. Actually, you could even try zucchini with some thyme and carrots if you wanted to keep with the squash theme.

Whatever flavor combo you choose, frittatas are a great make-ahead-meal because they work well hot, cold, and at room temperature, so you can always make one and leave it in the fridge for a quick breakfast, lunch, or dinner (so flexible is the frittata, no?).

Don’t ask me why, but the idea of starting the day with a handful of greens mixed into my breakfast makes me really excited. Not to mention looking down into this colorful bowl seems to be another “feel good” way to start the day, it just looks happy.

It’s like my breakfast bowl is smiling at me. And I’ll take a smile any and every place I can get one:).

Now let me begin by saying that I can not take the credit for blending spinach into my morning oats. This bright green bowl of oats was inspired by Polly over at Yoga is Yummy (UPDATE: no longer exists).

I used my standard recipe for some quick microwaved oats (which I demonstrate in my Oats 101 video) and then using a hand blender, mixed in the spinach. And you know what, you can’t even taste the spinach… you seriously don’t even know it’s in there.

It’s basically the same concept as adding a few greens into a fruit smoothie, the color changes a bit, but as long as you don’t get too carried away with the amount of greens you use, you’ll never know they’re there. You could really use this little technique with any bowl of hot breakfast cereal.

Do you guys have any good tips or tricks when it comes to getting some greens into your morning meals? I would love to have a few more ideas in my back pocket.

Bright Green Oats

Ingredients:

Directions:

Place oats, water, egg whites, and salt in a big microwave-safe bowl and pop in the microwave for one minute. Give it a good stir and pop it back in the microwave for another minute or so OR until your oats are fluffy and cooked through.

Toss the spinach into the oats and blend with a hand blender until all of the spinach is broken down and you have a brilliantly beautiful, bowl of green oats.

Stir in the maple syrup and top with your favorite fruit and (or) nuts. Enjoy!

I believe in what I call, “the stairs of wellness” when it comes to healthy living. There is a huge range of what is considered healthy when it comes to eating and ultimately I don’t think that it is as black and white as some of us might hope.

There is no such thing as the “healthiest diet” or “a perfect way of eating” that works for everybody all the time (although many of us, including myself, have spent quite the pretty penny hoping to find one!).

THE TRUTH IS that many different approaches, work for many different people during different periods in their life. And what’s good for the goose is not always good for the gander.

So while many people believe that cooking in the microwave may not be considered a safe or healthy way to prepare a “clean meal”, I say it depends on who you ask.

I have found that when it comes to often times I need faster than fast and easier than easy. And if the choice is a healthy breakfast cooked in the microwave vs. a pop-tart or a morning donut, I say microwave-it-up.

Sure it would be wonderful if we could have organic gardens, free-range farms, and endless hours of stress free time BUT unfortunately this just isn’t the case for most of us. Sometimes, we just gotta work with what we have and strive to make the best choices within that arena.

So do I think cooking in the microwave is the world’s “healthiest” way to prepare a meal? Not exactly. But I do think if you can use it as a tool to help get healthier food into your everyday life, more power to you.

Ah, Southern California… I just finished a beautiful six a.m. hike with my friend Mary, and when I got home, I was hungry.

I wanted something hearty and satisfying without being overly indulgent and these Peanut Butter Performance Pancakes were exactly what the doctor ordered.

I call them “performance” pancakes because they are packed with energy and make for a great pre OR post workout meal. Because I prefer to workout first thing in the morning, rarely do I eat a full meal before a workout, so these were post workout for me.

What I love about them is that they are a real rib-sticker, they stay with you for a while (which I guess is no surprise once you look at the ingredient list). If I had to label them with just one word it would have to be hearty, they are definitely hearty.

Ultimately, they are really just a bowl of oatmeal in pancake form. I mean really, look at the ingredients; oatmeal, egg whites, peanut butter and bananas. Everything that I would throw into a bowl of oats just made into a pancake. It’s funny how you can take the same exact ingredients, cook them up a little differently and end up with a completely different meal. So fun:).

I make this recipe into one big pancake, but you could make it into two. And I suppose that if you weren’t super hungry this could easily serve two people (but since technically, I am two people right now, I ate the whole entire thing!

Ingredients:

Directions:

Combine oats, egg whites, peanut butter, syrup, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and then stir in your banana pieces.

Coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat over a medium heat. Pour pancake patter into the pan (the batter may be a little runny around the edges, so using a rubber spatula, gently pull the runny edges towards the center of the pancake).

Once the pancakes firms and sets (this will take two or three minutes) flip and cook for another minute or so or until cooked through. Enjoy!

As you know by now, I am a huge fan of Mexican food so starting the day off with Breakfast Tacos is a sure way to put a smile on my face (and that’s without the margarita;).

Technically speaking, this is just a simple scramble with some mexican flavors loaded into a couple of corn tortillas. Now, this particular recipe is as basic as you could get… I just cook up some onions and peppers with a little cumin to give the scramble a nice smokey flavor and then finish it off with a little cilantro (a Mexican food staple).

If you had a little more time on your hands and the desire to play you could certainly add in some beans, light cheese, leftover chicken, or even some spicy jalapenos. You could try topping them with some salsa, light sour cream, greek yogurt, or maybe a little hot sauce. You see what I mean, with a little extra time on your hands and the desire to play, the possibilities are endless!

Now on another note, I don’t know where most of my readers live (if you guys want to tell me where you’re from, in the comments, I would LOVE that) but let me just tell you, here in SoCal the weather has been stupid hot for the middle of October. We’ve been seeing temperatures in the 80s and 90s making it really hard, if not impossible, for me to get into fall’s warming comfort foods. My kitchen has yet to see a pot of soup or a loaf of pumpkin bread (although I have had a go at some unsucessful pumpkin panckaes – seriously – I will get pancakes right one of these days)

I’m hoping we’ll be cooling off sometime soon but until then, I offer you my Clean and Simple Breakfast Tacos!! I hope it will do for now…

Ingredients:

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium non-stick skillet and add onion and peppers. Saute for about five minutes or until your veggies are tender and then season your veggies with salt, pepper and cumin.

Stir in your egg whites and scramble everything together. Cook about three or four minutes and right before your eggs are set, stir in you cilantro. Shut off the heat and allow the egg whites to finish cooking from the heat of the pan.

In the meantime, heat your corn tortillas up by placing them right over a burner with a low flame. Give them about twenty seconds or so on each side until they are warmed through and slightly charred.

Fill each tortilla with a quarter of the egg white scramble and top with freshly diced avocado. Enjoy!

Me:Well, sure you can. I have a few videos coming up this month using strawberries.

Dad:Oh, is that what you do. You do a video about strawberries and then you do another video using them in a recipe?

Me:Uh, HI… HELLO Dad!! Yeah… that’s kinda how it works.

Dad:Oh. Well I was just wondering when you were gonna post something good.

Seriously… I love that man.

Any how, this conversation kind of reminded of me of what my highschool teachers used to say. “If you have a question don’t be afraid to ask. Chances are if you’re thinking it, so are ten other people in the class.”

So I thought, if my Dad was feeling a little bored with strawberries, chances are there maybe a few more of you feeling the same way, so I pulled this recipe out of my “Cook Book” file.

Yeah, it’s true. I have a whole file of recipes that I hoard and don’t share with you guys in the hopes that some day they will go into my Clean, Simple,and D’lishes Cook Book. But I figured I could sacrifice one to keep you on your toes;).

I don’t think I ever mentioned this before, but breakfast is definitely my weakness in the kitchen (although this doesn’t include eggs, I’ve got eggs down… it’s the pancake, french toast, crepes, etc. thing that I’ve gotta work on).

When it comes to pancakes I like to try and up the protein department in order to balance the meal out a bit. I find that when I eat a traditional pancake, fruit, and syrup breakfast I usually end up with a sugar crash and feeling really hungry shortly after a big meal. So adding a little extra protein helps me to avoid the sugary carb overload without giving up pancakes all together.

I’m also not a big fan of saucey, syrupy foods, so I’m perfectly happy topping these babies with some fruit and nuts and calling it a day, but if you like yourself some syrup… by all means add it to the mix:).

Do you guys have any special tips or tricks that you like to use when making pancakes? Lord knows I could use any help I can get!!

What can I say, I’ve been making so many different types of Egg “Pizza’s” lately, I just couldn’t help but share another Egg “Pizza” flavor combination!

This idea came from a reader named Valeria living in Italy (seriously, how cool is the whole internet thing). You know when you read a recipe and just know that by the ingredients that you will love it? Well that’s how I felt when Valeria left a comment for my Apple and Cheddar Egg “Pizza” mentioning that she was going to try topping it with tuna and onions! As soon as I read that topping suggestion, I knew right away that I was gonna have to give it a try.

You could easily make this dish with tuna from a can, but I just so happened to have some tuna leftover from my Soy and Rosemary Marinated Tuna, so I chopped some of that up to use as my topping. I finished it up with some red onion, tomato, and basil and I had yet another clean, simple, and d’lishes “Egg Pizza” flavor combination! (I am seriously loving these egg pizzas; I many try to do a video demonstrating how to cook the eggs… we’ll see!).

Ingredients:

Directions:

Whisk together egg, egg whites, and milk and finish with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Heat an eight-inch non-stick sauté pan over medium low heat. Add eggs to the pan and allow to cook for about two to three minutes. You’re basically looking for the eggs to set all around with a little wiggle on the top!
*Remember, the key to perfect eggs is to cook them LOW and SLOW, so don’t jump the gun on this one!

Once you’re eggs are mostly set with a little wiggle on top sprinkle the tuna, onion, tomatoes and basil over the top. Pop a lid on and allow to cook another two minutes or so or until the eggs are completely set through.
Slide on to your plate and enjoy!!

This recipe is the perfect example of how to take a simple, basic technique (in this case making the egg pizza base) and turn into your own. I mean, really you can take this recipe 101 different ways and with the egg being the delicous, versatile, little guy that it is, the flavor combinations are endless!

Why apples, cheddar and rosemary?? Well, I love eating apples and cheese together and I once had an apple pie that had rosemary in it (SO GOOD), so that’s where this flavor combination came from. But some of the other ingredients I have played with so far are onions, peppers, ham, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, different cheeses, different herbs and even chicken… like I said, the possibilities are endless!

And although I don’t have any of my own yet, I have no doubt that the little ones will love this meal as well!

I know you guys have some great flavor combinations popping into your heads as well, soooo as always, I’d love to hear them!! What flavor Egg “Pizza” will you be making?

Apple and Cheddar Egg “Pizza”

Ingredients:

Directions:

Whisk together egg, egg whites, and milk and finish with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Heat an eight-inch non-stick sauté pan over medium low heat. Add eggs to the pan and allow to cook for about two to three minutes. You’re basically looking for the eggs to set all around with a little wiggle on the top!
*Remember, the key to perfect eggs is to cook them LOW and SLOW, so don’t jump the gun on this one!

Once you’re eggs are mostly set with a little wiggle on top sprinkle the chopped apple, rosemary, and cheese over the top. Pop a lid on and allow to cook another two minutes or so or until the eggs are completly set through and the cheese has melted.

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Healthy eating made easy!

Hi, I’m Dani. I'm a Health, Wellness & Weight Loss Coach, Mom of two, and the Founder of Clean & Delicious®. I'll show you how to make healthy eating CRAZY-easy and insanely DELICIOUS! Learn more about me.